Goa Trek – Day 5 – Dudhsagar camp to Kuveshi

Day five of Goa Trek was the most awaited of all I would say. We had covered more than 12 kilometers of trek covering the very famous Dudhsagar waterfall, tunnels, crossing the bridge that goes right across the waterfalls, then the steep climb to reach the tip of the waterfall and take a bath over there, followed by a long walk all the way till Kuveshi which is in Karnataka. On day five we start from Dudhsagar campsite which is in Goa and end our day’s trek at Kuveshi which is in Karnataka.

After some strict instructions from our camp leader at Dudhsagar camp, we headed towards the Dudhsagar waterfalls. But before that, we had to cross a stream and then had to follow the jeep track. One the way just before the main entrance to Dudhsagar waterfall, we get to see the first glimpse of the top portion of Dudhsagar. Walk a bit further till you reach the end point of the jeep route. You may climb up the viewpoint to get a better view of the falls or follow the trail that goes to the waterfalls. This is a tourist place and is well maintained. Cross the two iron bridges till you reach a point where you get to see the entire waterfall. Capture few pics and walk a bit further till you reach the base of the waterfalls. This place might be a bit crowded. You can swim at this place within the marked safe zone area. Wait for a while till you see the train crossing over the bridge high above and don’t forget to capture the iconic shot that you see on the internet.

After spending some time at the Dudhsagar waterfalls, go back to the place, near the viewpoint where there is a bifurcation to the left. The next 30 minutes of the trail is full of thorns and palm trees, a steep climb till you reach the railway track. Walk along the track to the left till you reach the tunnel. You might need a torch as it is totally dark and a place known for snakes even though I did not see one. Walk fast in the tunnel as you get to see trains passing by this route almost every 20 minutes, as some might feel a bit suffocated inside the tunnel and there isn’t must space on sides to stand when the train goes by. The first tunnel number 12 is about 90 meters and the second tunnel number 13 which is of 45 meters is immediately after, and the opening in between these two tunnels looks as tough we are in a sink hole.

Soon after crossing the second tunnel, is an abandoned station and we were back at the Dudhsagar but at a different altitude, somewhere in the middle where the train goes. The view from this place is just too beautiful. To the left is the deep, thick rain forest which we covered all these days and to the right is the top portion of the waterfalls. To the left is the base of the waterfall which is far below that we had covered earlier in the morning. There is little space near the bridge for camping and this camping site remains closed most of the times, so if you have plans of camping next to Dudhsagar waterfalls, it may not be possible. Check with the local forest department and get permission before camping as it remains closed sometimes. We visited this place during Christmas holidays and there wasn’t enough water in the waterfalls. This place is abandoned and you get to see the remains and poorly maintained viewpoints and steps that go under the bridge. There are red flags placed in most of the places as this place is extremely dangerous and don’t make an attempt to get into the water next to railway track. There were more than 100+ deaths reported.

Continue to walk along the track till you reach tunnel number 14 which is a curved one and is about 110 meters. At the other end of the tunnel is an old abandoned railway post with rooms. Enter this place and exit from the other side as we now continue to climb uphill in the forest above the tunnel to reach the peak/ mouth of the waterfall. Continue for about an hour or two. You get the mobile signal in between as you climb up the trail. As we reached on top, we were not allowed to go to the mouth of the waterfall for some bad reason and we were lucky to find a hawker selling colder drinks and bananas, which were three times costlier than the normal price. We did not mind paying as it was very much needed after the long stretch of climb uphill.

Above Dudhsagar falls #goa #india. The stream that you find at the peak of Dudhsagar waterfalls on the way to Kuveshi camp.
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We continued further for a while till we reached the stream where we took a long break. We had great fun in the water, took a bath and had our packed lunch next to the stream. We continued to walk further towards the Karnataka forest for another hour till we reached the Kuveshi camp, which is the highest point of our entire trek. You get to see few human settlements here and paddy fields. We camped in one of these paddy fields. There is a jeep route connecting this campsite. We reached early and enjoy our evening at the campsite. Check out the video below and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Don’t forget to share this post and to follow me on social media.